Moderna begins trial of HIV vaccine that uses mRNA technology

In news– Recently, Moderna has announced that it has started trials on an mRNA HIV vaccine.

About mRNA HIV vaccine–

The vaccine uses mRNA, or messenger RNA technology (similar to Moderna’s Covid 19 vaccine) which teaches the body’s cells how to make proteins that trigger immune response.
It uses a novel approach to elicit broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibodies (bNAbs) and eventually target multiple HIV strains.
BNAbs are produced by certain types of B cells, which are rare: one in 300,000 B cells have this capability and the vaccine aims to stimulate production of bnAbs that can act against many variants of HIV.
The immunogens being tested were developed by scientific teams at the non-profit International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and Scripps Research, and delivered via Moderna’s mRNA technology.
The MODERNA/IAVI study is a phase 1, randomized, first-in-human, open label study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccines, mRNA-1644 and mRNA-1644v2-Core, in HIV-uninfected individuals.
The vaccine is supposed to teach B lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system, to generate these antibodies.
In this trial, participants are injected with an immunogen — a substance that can trigger an immune response — and then a booster immunogen later.
This Phase 1 trial is being carried out in the United States among 56 healthy adults who are HIV negative.
Fifty-six individuals will be randomized in four groups and safety/immunogenicity results will be available in 2023.

About Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-

HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.
It attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system.
T cells move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells.
If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome).
There is currently no effective cure.
Once people get HIV, they have it for life.
But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled.
The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids, breast milk.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV continues to be a major global public health issue having claimed 36.3 million lives so far.
India has around 21 lakh people living with HIV and every year an estimated 68,000 new infections are added.